Manufahi, 10 august 2023 (TATOLI)- United States International for Development Agency (USAID) and Minister of Health together with Non-Government Organization, Sharis Haburas Comunidade (SHC) officially launched community health systems in two municipalities composed of Alas post-Administrativ (Manufahi Municipality) and the Tilomar Administrative Post (Covalima Municipality).
USAID Acting Mission Director Aaron Brownell said the grant is aimed at strengthening the existing community health systems to improve social behaviors and practices around inclusive reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition in the Alas Administrative Post (Manufahi Municipality) and the Tilomar Administrative Post (Covalima Municipality). It is also to accelerate social behavior change interventions in order to achieve the Minister of Health’s strategic goals on health promotion and improving health behavior.
“Communities should participate in health program planning, implementation, and monitoring to ensure the sustainability of the health system and reflect people’s needs,” said USAID Acting Mission Director, Aaron Brownell. This activity will train and empower families, pregnant women, husbands and parents, in-laws, adolescent girls and boys, and people with disabilities to participate in the identification of their health issues, develop community action plans and help communities to take ownership of the implementation and monitoring.” USAID Acting Mission Director Aaron Brownell told journalists, after launching the CHS project in Alas, Manufahi municipality, thusday.
He added that the project is in cooperation with the Minister of Health and will be implemented by the local non-government organization Sharis Haburas Comunidade (SHC), to Motoring the Health system at the Community level.
In the same place, Vice-Minister of Health for Institutional Strengthening, José dos Reis Magno said this project helps the rural communities to improve social behavior in the health system.
“It is a great opportunity to launch community health systems to help the community to strengthen health systems at the community level. This project can help the community to transform people’s behavior to live a healthy life,’’ Vice Minister said
He added that this project also will provide a mechanism for communities to receive health information and provide feedback on healthcare services not available to them.
It is known that this project will be covered 1.645 households in five villages in Alas post administrative Manufahi municipality.
So far, in 2021 Ministry of Health has Jointed the Annual Health Sector Meeting and identified that one of the hindrances to tracking the adoption of behavior is that current community health systems such as Sistema Integrado Saude Comunitaria (SISCa), Community Based Monitoring for Health (CBM-Health), Mother Support Group (MSG), and Saúde na Família (SNF) are not systematically monitored and
The launching ceremony of the strengthening community health systems project was celebrated by USAID Acting Mission Director Aaron Brownell and HE Vice-Minister of Health for Institutional Strengthening Sr. Jose Magno.
This project is funded by USAID worth 220,391 and the project is implemented by a local NGO Sharis Haburas Comunidade (SHC).
Journalist: José Belarmino De Sá
Editor: Nelia B.
